


Per Sempre

by LinneaKou



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 15:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4065949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinneaKou/pseuds/LinneaKou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Out in rural England, a solitary man with a mysterious past raises horses. The townsfolk leave him be, but an outsider becomes curious...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Breaker of Horses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4018945) by [Sineala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sineala/pseuds/Sineala). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in modern-day England. (Also, Timely. Also, happy. :D) Since this is from the POV of an American character, I didn't get this Brit-picked.
> 
> Forgive me for any mistakes I make regarding the care and keeping of horses. It's been well over fifteen years since I've ridden one. :U

Carol had been in Timely a month when she and Jess ran into someone Carol hadn't met yet. Considering that Timely was an incredibly small town - the likes of which Carol had never seen in America - Carol was moderately surprised.

"Who's the hottie?" she murmured.

Jess looked up from fondling tomatoes at the farmer's market. "Oh, that's Tony," she replied. "Been around for ages. He raises horses, lives out on a farm near the woods. He's nice enough, but he mostly keeps to himself."

"Horses?" Carol asked, interest piqued.

"Yeah. Some of the best in the country. Amazing stock. He sells to international racing clubs. Makes a pretty penny, to be honest." Jess shrugged. "Loads of the local kids learned how to ride from him."

"I've always wanted to learn how to ride," Carol said dreamily.

Jess laughed so hard that she had to put down her tomato. "Bloody hell, do you know how that sounded?"

Carol blushed and slapped her housemate's arm. "Horses. Ride horses. I want to ride horses."

"Oho, Carol, love," Jess said, shaking her head. "You best stick to that goal, because Tony has lived all alone in that house for years. Every marriage-minded girl in a ten-kilometer radius has tried to snare him, but he's always rejected them."

"Did _you_  try?" Carol asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Jess smiled wryly. "He inherited the farm and the stables when I was just starting high school. He's too old for me."

"Never minded older men, myself," Carol said airily.

"That's brilliant, have fun with that," Jess went back to the tomatoes, leaving Carol to watch the mysterious bachelor from under her lashes.

Tony had odd coloring for someone who lived in this part of England - Mediterranean features and olive skin and hair as dark as the night sky. He was almost unrealistically handsome, with sparkling blue eyes and an easy smile. Carol could understand why any eligible bachelorette would throw herself at him.

Jess met her eyes and raised her eyebrows, and Carol made up her mind.

"Excuse me," she sidled up to the horse breeder and flashed him her prettiest smile. "My friend Jess over there says you are  _the_ guy to talk to about horses."

Tony blinked, glanced at Jess, and nodded slowly. "I am something of an expert. My family has been in the animal husbandry business for generations." He had a fascinating accent, with a lilt of someone who probably could speak Italian with no hesitation, and an underlying hint of something else, something Carol couldn't identify.

"Well, it is my lucky day then," Carol declared. "I have always wanted to learn how to ride horseback. Could you make this city girl's dream come true?"

Tony laughed, a rich laugh that made heads turn. Carol's grin widened.

"Come by later on in the week. Thursday, in the morning." Tony finished paying for his groceries and held out his hand, which Carol took. "Wear comfortable pants and sturdy boots with a bit of a heel to them."

"I can get the gist," Carol winked. "We had cowboys in America."

Tony laughed again. "Of course." He began to walk away, departing with a wave. "Thursday. I look forward to it."

Carol skipped back over to Jess, who was watching with an expression that could be a cross between amusement and shock. "Thursday," Carol sing-songed. "Looks like I gotta get me some riding boots!"

Jess made a noise that sounded like "merp" and handed Carol a bag of onions. "Sure thing, cowgirl."

 

Jess gave her a ride out to Tony's property and dropped her off with a "be good, Sparklefists."

Carol had saluted jauntily and set off towards the stables, passing paddocks that had horses, horses, so many horses just milling about and grazing where they saw fit. They were all magnificent specimens, groomed beautifully and seemingly pretty happy and content.

Tony emerged from the house and greeted her with the same charm she'd noticed at the farmer's market. He ushered her along to the paddock, where he'd already set up a stool and draped a saddle over the fence. As Carol introduced herself to her mount for the day, he busied himself with saddling the gorgeous chestnut mare.

"So about payment for this--"

"It's fine," he interjected. "I don't require payment for teaching. I'm sure Jessica already told you, I make enough selling to racers." He stroked the horse's nose affectionately. "All right, Miss Danvers, meet Olivia. She's not too bouncy or excitable, so she's a great starter for a beginner."

"Hello Olivia," Carol cooed. She was vibrating with excitement.

Olivia tossed her head as Tony helped Carol onto the saddle and coached her on her stance. He wouldn't let her totally take the reins, instead guiding the mare around the paddock as Carol got used to sitting astride the animal. It was the most fun Carol had had in a long time.

"I can see why you'd make this your living," Carol commented when they took a break. She had elected to remain in the saddle, not looking forward to walking around all bandy-legged in front of Tony.

Tony rubbed the snorting horse's neck and smiled, a strange little quirk of the lips that she had not yet seen from him. "It's what my family does, Miss Danvers. I can't think of anything else I'd want to do."

"You can call me Carol," she said. "Where's your family from, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, Carol, my family is from a small province in Romania."

"You do  _not_ look Romanian." Carol squinted at him. "Greek, maybe. Or Italian."

Tony shrugged. "Ready to go again?"

"I was  _born_ ready."

 

Riding lessons continued every week for the next month and a half with very little fuss. The thing was, the longer she took lessons from Tony, the more she started noticing odd behaviors.

For one thing, he never invited her into his home. He'd made the excuse of it being a bachelor's pad, and thus unfit for visitors, and yet she  _knew_ she'd seen movement in the windows while Tony was riding right alongside her.

For another thing, the house itself was an odd little place. It was small, only had one storey, and looked like it had a small stable of its own in the back. Every time she meandered near it, Tony had shepherded her away.

Whenever she asked him about his life before coming to Timely, he answered with increasingly vague responses. Flirting with him got her nowhere, and eventually he confided in her that he preferred the company of men. Once that was cleared up, the flirting became a teasing-camaraderie that suited her much better, to be honest.

When she asked Tony if he lived alone, he'd gotten that strange smile and changed the subject.

Carol wasn't suspicious, really. Just curious.

 

"You know," Jess commented over dinner, sipping tea and being almost  _excessively_  British, "I think you've managed to get closer to Tony than anyone who's ever lived here."

"You think?" Carol blinked. "Hm. He's a great guy, I'm surprised he doesn't have more friends in town."

"Like I said before, he keeps to himself. Doesn't seek out company, doesn't go to the pub for a pint, nuffin'." Jess shrugged.

"Yeah. Hm." Carol pushed peas around on her plate, deep in thought.

"Well, he's an odd bird, but he's never hurt anyone or done anything terribly bad." Jess shrugged. "His great-grandfather built that house at the turn of the century, my gran says. The family left when the War hit and conscription happened, and then came back after it ended. He started fixing it up when he first arrived. I remember all the town ladies were talking about it."

"He's an engineer," Carol mused.

"Maybe I can convince him to fix this old place up," Jess joked. Her family house was in need of new wiring and a few replacements of doors, especially the door leading to the cellar.

"I think he would," Carol told her. "In fact, why don't you ask him? He'd almost definitely do it, and probably wouldn't charge you a cent."

"Nah, it's manageable. Besides," Jess shoved playfully at her shoulder. "We can handle any fixings needing to be done, no need to go cryin' to a man for it."

"I just think he needs to get out, see people. Being cooped up in what's probably a goddamn haunted house has to be  _lonely_ ," Carol insisted.

Jess sighed. "Carol, you haven't lived here your entire life. Trust me, when he first arrived in town, people  _did_ try to invite him to things and include him in social events. He declined them all."

"But..." Carol wanted to keep pushing. The guy she'd come to know over the past few months, the people here didn't  _know_ him. He deserved to have  _friends_ , at least--

"Don't worry about him, Carol. He wants to be left be, and people here have respected that." Jess took a long sip from her tea, and Carol sighed.

"Oh, all right."

 

Two months in, during a lesson, Tony ducked into the house, apologizing profusely. "I have a broker I've been expecting a call from all morning," he said, making a face.

Carol waved him off. "Don't worry about it, go take care of your business."

Tony flashed a grin at her and disappeared into his home, where the ringing of a phone could be heard.

Carol nudged Olivia and clucked at her. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's take a walk while the master is busy."

The horse snorted, and Carol steered her around the paddock at a light trot. She was getting used to the whole bouncing thing, even if her crotch ached for the next day. Two months and she was _still_  just getting used to it.

She saw a light flick on in what was probably the den and urged Olivia into a faster trot.

Suddenly, from the stable-side of the house, there was a ring of metal and a muffled curse. It sounded like a man's voice.

But... Tony was...

Carol hastily dismounted and hopped the paddock fence. She felt in her pocket for her taser and ran as quietly as she could around the house. She glanced back at the window and clearly made out the outline of Tony's profile, backlit against the drawn shades.

So that meant someone else was in the house.

Carol gripped the taser and rounded the corner. "Hello?" She was faced with what looked like wide barn doors and two windows, shrouded in curtains.

The noises went silent.

"Okay, you can cut the bullshit," Carol called. "I know you're there."

There was a slight intake of breath, and Carol mustered her courage and pulled the barn door open.

"Don't!" the man's voice said sharply, and something clattered on the floor.

Carol had her taser out, and she squinted into the darkness of what looked like a cross between a stable and a foyer. Something golden glinted in the shadows. A horse's body, and above it...

Carol gasped, and the taser dropped from her senseless hands.

"Please don't scream," said the man -  _thing_ \- as he slowly stepped into the midmorning light. His hands were raised placatingly.

Carol dimly heard Tony calling her from the paddock as the  _centaur_  moved forward again.

"Holy _shit!_ " she screamed, finally snapping out of her daze. She scrambled backwards and stumbled right into Tony's chest.

" _Merda_ ," Tony grumbled, as the centaur - the  _centaur_ \- came fully into the light. He was taller than most of the men Carol knew, with pale skin and golden hair on his human half. He was muscular underneath conventional springtime clothes, until you got to the waist. From there, he was all golden hide and  _horse_.

Carol felt her mouth working, but no words came out.

Tony sighed. "Carol, this is my husband, Stephanos."

"Steve," said the centaur. "You can call me Steve."

Carol fainted.

 

She came to on an unfamiliar couch, to the sounds of terse discussions in a language she didn't recognize. She did recognize one of the voices.

"Tony?" she called, and then the memory of what she'd seen came rushing back to her.

She scrambled off of the couch as Tony skidded into the room. "Carol," he said simply, and a blond head poked around the doorframe.

Carol squeaked. "That wasn't a dream!"

"Please, please, calm down!" Tony begged, shooing the other man away. "We really can't afford to be found out."

The other man said something in what sounded like Latin and Tony ducked back to respond in kind.

"What the  _hell_ is going on?!" Carol demanded, marching around the couch.

Tony moved out of her way and she came face-to-face with the centaur again. He looked  _bashful,_ blushing in a way that Carol refused to think of as adorable.

"I must be high," Carol said dazedly. "A centaur named Steve. I'm dreaming."

"Not dreaming," Tony muttered.

Carol whirled on him, and he flinched. "Explain," she commanded.

Tony sighed and gestured to the kitchen table behind him. "It's a long story."

"I've got nowhere to be," Carol answered, taking the nearest chair.

"It's a  _really_ long story," said Steve.

Carol made a face at him.

Tony drummed his fingers on the table, glanced at Steve, and then looked Carol in the eye. "It all began in the ancient Roman Empire..."

 

 _Tony was nearly two thousand years old_.

At some point during Tony's story, Steve had made coffee -  _a centaur had made her coffee_ \- that she hadn't drunk so much as clutched at as the amazing, impossible, and absolutely  _fantastical_ story of Steve and Tony - or Stephanos and Avizina, as they had been born as - unfolded at a rural English kitchen table.

"...so after Furius granted us our freedom, we made our way here. We've been here, more or less, ever since." Tony exchanged a weary look with Steve over her head, and Carol tried to absorb what she'd heard. "We had to leave during World War I, to avoid the conscription, but other than that we've been here. People tend to leave us alone."

" _How_ are you still  _alive_?" Carol asked. "I can get how Steve's still alive, I've read the mythology, but how are  _you_ still alive after all these centuries?" _  
_

Tony smiled wryly. "The gods owed us both a favor." He pulled apart his shirt and revealed a smooth blue stone, embedded in his chest. "They owed Stephanos for everything he had done, and some time later, they rewarded me for performing a great deed."

Carol was curious, but Tony had that  _look_ on his face that said "that's all I'm gonna say". "So you're both immortal?" she said slowly.

"More or less," Steve said behind her.

"Holy shit," she said faintly. "That... that is the most amazing thing I've ever..." She looked back and forth at them. "You two have been together for this long?"

Tony's eyes sparkled. "There never could have been anyone else, to weather all these years with me." Steve gave him a completely besotted smile, and Carol felt something in her chest melt.

"That is so  _romantic_ ," she breathed, then blinked. "Wait. Have you two--"

"That's really none of your business," Steve interrupted, and Carol snorted, conceding.

"Well, it's still romantic," she insisted, wiping her eyes. "I just... wow."

"So you can understand why we try to keep to ourselves?" Tony hedged, and Carol flapped a hand at him.

"You think I'm going to  _tell_ people? They'd drag you two off to some secret government labs and you'd never see the light of day again!"

"Damned Renaissance," Steve muttered, and Carol blinked at him. Tony made a noise that sounded like "don't ask."

"But I mean, even though you have each other..." Carol tilted her head. "Don't you get lonely?"

"We have the horses," Steve said slowly, but the longing in his face was plain. Tony took his hand, twining their fingers, and rubbed his thumb over Steve's.

"You need friends," Carol decided, and both of them flinched.

"Well, it's not like I can just stroll into a pub like this," Steve pointed out.

"No, but I can bring beer and gossip." Carol grinned. "Come on! Don't you miss being part of a social group?"

Steve made a noise, and Tony smiled at him in the same besotted way.

"So you're okay with this?" Steve asked, gesturing at his lower half.

Carol bit the inside of her cheek. "Okay, grant me this, it's going to take a little getting used to. But." She shrugged. "I flew halfway across the globe, moved in with a girl that I may or may not have fallen in love with over the internet, and gave up a cushy military brat life in Boston for this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I can adjust."

"So you want to continue your riding lessons?" Tony asked in a teasing tone.

"Of course!" Carol replied. "You're not dashing my dreams with a little thing like a centaur husband. Besides, you're my friend." She shrugged. "I'd be proud to keep this secret for you."

"We're friends?" Tony repeated, and Steve snorted.

"God, Avizina, you are  _terrible_ at this."

"Can you blame me? I'm out of practice."

Carol sat back as they continued to bicker good-naturedly.  _I am so glad I did this,_ she thought, smiling.  _I may not have seduced a reclusive millionaire horse breeder, but at least I can ride a horse_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Sineala for letting me play in her sandbox! I took some liberties, sorry if that's a problem!
> 
> This idea sprang up from the chat, when someone wondered what would happen to our intrepid couple when Christianity became a thing. I recalled a line from the follow-up about how Stephanos was confident that the gods owed him. Basically, I wanted to write a reverse-Highlander. (Who waaaants to liiiive foreverrrr :'\ )
> 
> I'm a sap, so sue me.
> 
> I have also never been to England. Sorry. ^^;;
> 
> (Translation note: "merda" is basically Latin for "shit")


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this just in time for Steve's birthday, and in part for STAC on Tumblr!
> 
> Turns out, I wasn't done with this 'verse like I thought.

Early morning found Tony still in bed, having stayed up the previous night to work on something Steve hadn’t asked about. He knew by now, after nearly two millennia together, that Tony enjoyed surprising him. The fact that Tony could even surprise him now after all this time was an unexpected novelty, and one Steve never got tired of.

Still, centuries of rising with the sun resulted in very few lazy lie-ins, so Steve got to his feet after sparing a second to toss his blanket over Tony, who was sleeping on the daybed next to Steve’s pile of cushions.

Two thousand years really knocked the edges off these things.

The day was starting off chilly, as was typical for the region this time of year. Steve paused to adjust the thermostat a smidge and pull off his jumper. Gianetta had hand-knit it for him the previous year. He wondered wistfully after what she and Henri were up to in Milan, ignoring the slight sense of envy at his friends’ more humanlike appearances; Gianetta easily could hide her wings under her trademark shawls and jackets, and everyone else had no extra limbs to speak of.

Of course, it was early mornings like this one that he didn’t mind so much his powerful lower half, horselike as it was, for it made his morning run much more exciting.

Two thousand years and he still could find joy in that.

He gathered up his cell phone and smiled to himself at the sight he must be - an immortal centaur who had watched the rise and fall of Rome, golden hide and muscled body like something out of a modern fantasy film… and here he was strapping his phone into an armband and plugging in earbuds.

“I’m going out for a run,” he texted Tony, and heard the buzz on the bedside table in response. The first thing Tony would do when he woke up was check it.

Two thousand years and he delighted in Tony’s every habit that he’d learned in that time.

He let himself out through the stable side of the house and made his way towards the treeline at the edge of his property. The advantages of the modern weekend included less passers-by to nearly be seen by… save American-born Air Force brats in possession of Celtic goddess powers.

“You’re like clockwork!” Carol called down to him as she descended, still wearing a thick windbreaker and sweatpants. Her hair was like a golden halo around her head, and her face was flushed. Two years of flying practice had done nothing to dampen the sheer joy she must feel every time she took to the sky. “Anyone tell you you’re predictable?”

“Only all the time,” Steve answered, shading his eyes. “Anyone tell you that you need to get new jokes?”

“Have you been talking to Jess? Because you two sound like you’ve been comparing notes.”

Steve shrugged, and Carol narrowed her eyes at him.

“She’s not joining you today?”

Carol shook her head. “Midsummer wore her the hell out. Didn’t even wake up with all the noise I made today.” She smirked. “She’s so tired she ended up floating out of bed.”

Steve had to bite his fist to stifle a snort. “Poor thing.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna let her sleep it off so she can be ready for the… thing.” Carol ducked around him and peered through the windows into the foyer, still in shadow. “Tony’s out too?”

“He was up all night.”

“Hm.” Carol nodded, and Steve looked at her with the blandest poker face he could manage. “Ah. I see.”

“Do you know something I should know?”

Carol laughed. “Race you!” she said as she lifted into the air again, power sparking along her arms and legs and throughout her hair. She took off, leaving Steve to chase after her on the ground.

With Carol around during the day, the chances of any curious townspeople accidentally catching sight of Steve working with the horses diminished down to practically nothing, so Steve was able to get them all out into various paddocks and start cleaning out the stables after he and Carol had a light breakfast. Around nine, Tony stumbled out of bed and appeared shortly thereafter in the yard, clutching his coffee. He joined Steve in the stables and quickly was hard at work repairing the ride-on lawnmower that he used to keep the lawn portion of their property in good shape.

Around noon, Jess showed up on her motor scooter with lunch from the cafe. The three of them seemed to have a conversation with meaningful glances and looks alone, and Steve was starting to get frustrated with it.

“So,” he said, eyeing them over his third sandwich and second soup (Jess had had the foresight to bring an obscenely excessive amount of food for him, what with his ridiculous metabolism.) “I have been ignoring the fact that you three are clearly planning something that I’m not privy to, but it’s becoming a bit obvious.” He gave Tony a significant look, and Tony coughed on his bite of croissant.

“Steve,” he finally managed to say. “You know better.”

Steve glared at his husband, who met his gaze without even bothering to wipe the crumbs out of his beard.

“Promise me it’s not bad,” Steve said.

“Oh, god, Steve!” Jess groaned. “Why do you always assume the worst of us?”

“Because I know you,” Steve answered, not taking his eyes off of Tony.

Tony actually smirked at him. “At ease, soldier,” he said, finally getting a laugh out of Steve. “We’re just planning a little something for your birthday.”

Steve blinked. “That’s not for a few weeks.”

“It requires a lot of planning.”

Carol and Jess had matching smirks on their faces as well, and Steve gave up.

“Just don’t burn down anything,” he grumbled, and went back to his food.

A fortnight later, Logan showed up on their doorstep, smelling like a garbage heap and without a stitch of clothing to his name. He glared at them tiredly and jerked his chin at the stables. “Mind if I wash off?”

Tony had pinched his nose shut at the very moment he’d opened the door to their visitor. “Not at all. Don’t scare the horses.”

Logan snorted at him and loped off to take advantage of the running water in the stables.

“Full moon was a few nights ago,” Steve said from the kitchen. He’d smelled Logan from all the way back at the rear of the house. “You’d think he’d get a handle on staying clothed.”

“He’s probably going to ask to stay here,” Tony pointed out. “I’ve got a feeling he’s trashed his current identity.”

Steve sighed and shrugged. “An extra pair of hands won’t go unused, I think.”

“Hm.” Tony tapped his chin, easing himself into a chair at the table. “I think I could use his help with a little project I’ve got…”

Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony - he hadn’t forgotten his husband’s cagey behavior of the past month or so - and shook a soapy spatula at him. “Hmph!”

“I know, I know,” Tony flapped a hand back at him, his eyes twinkling like the skystone peeking out from his collar. “Close calls, but we’re surviving fine.”

Steve sniffed and went back to scrubbing the utensils clean. “If it’s building, make sure it’s cleared with the city council.”

“I know.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “So it’s a building project.”

“Well, yes.” Tony’s expression remained neutral. “It’s in town, though, so…”

Steve felt his shoulders slump. “Right. Fine.”

“Shush, beloved.” And then Tony was right next to him, winding an arm around his waist and pressing his face into Steve’s chest. Steve felt the tension melt out of him at the first touch. “I promise, everything will work out.”

Steve breathed out slowly, and curled in on his husband. “I trust you.”

The day of his birthday dawned crisp and clear, and Steve was surprised to see that the daybed was empty, meaning Tony was already up and about. That bode of nice things to come, he reasoned as he prepared for his morning run.

He’d scarcely opened the doors and stepped outside before his gaze fell upon a face he hadn’t seen in person in a couple decades. “Sam!”

“Happy birthday,” Samuel laughed, hopping off the paddock fence and coming forward to clap Steve on the back. “Surprise!”

“Steve!” he heard a high pitched voice shout, and Gianetta dropped out of the sky to give him an energetic hug, her wings flapping like a hummingbird’s in her joy. “It’s so good to see you!” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “I have more shirts for you, and you are going to _love_  what I found in New York this past winter!”

“This is what they were planning?” Steve asked, dazed, as he hugged her back. “You all came back for my birthday?”

“Oh, yes, almost everyone’s here!” Gianetta said. “We have been planning this for a year now, too. Steve, we’re going to live here!”

Steve blinked in shock and looked at his friends. “You’re moving to Timely?”

“Taking possession of a newly refurbished building tomorrow,” Sam confirmed. “Tony got Logan to help him fix it up all nice, and they finished the third flat the other day. There’s going to be eight in total.”

“You’re all going to stay here?” Steve repeated, still stuck on having all his friends within driving distance.

“We’ve wanted to for a long time,” Sam answered. “I for one am looking forward to a sleepy small town life.” He winked, and Steve felt his heart lighten so much he almost could float.

“I’ll have to travel once in a while,” Gianetta said, “but that means I’ll get to bring things back!”

Steve glanced around him, realizing someone was missing. “What about Henri?”

“He’s still in Paris,” Gianetta bit her lip. “We’ve decided to take it slow for a bit, and he might join us here in a while.” She shrugged, clearly still distraught over the nebulous status of her one long-term relationship.

Steve squeezed her gently, and she smiled at him. “He’d have to be mad to give up a treasure like you,” he told her.

“You sweet-talker, no wonder you’ve stayed married all this time.” She pecked him on the cheek again and then pulled away, flitting into midair. “C’mon, you’re going to run, right? Sam, how long has it been since you were able to let loose?”

Sam laughed and slipped his bracers out of his pants pocket. “Forever,” he said, sliding them onto each wrist and bringing forth the wings rewarded to him by the gods. “You coming, old man?”

Steve took off after his friends, his chest feeling so full it’d burst.

This birthday was, without comparison, the best one he’d celebrated. And he’d celebrated a lot of them.

Carol and Jess attempted to bake a cake - the baking hadn’t actually been the problem, Jess confided in him. It was the actual making-the-layers-stick-together bit that tripped them up - and as a joke had almost completely covered it in candles.

Rhodey and Thor had been in the house with Tony as Steve had been out just _playing_  in the fields with Gianetta and Sam, and between the three of them they’d managed to cook up a big enough meal for an army.

Bruce had arrived much later, having only just recently finished a lecture circuit in America, and he arrived bearing schnapps from a brewery in Germany.

“Gods,” he said, handing Steve a bottle. “How many years has it been?”

“Too many,” Tony called, handing Bruce a plate and whisking the schnapps away into the kitchen. “There are also too many of us to fit in here. Everyone out into the yard!”

They spilled outside to the midday warmth and the scent of freshly cut grass and ate off of paper plates, laughing and exchanging stories of their travels.

“What made you all come here?” Steve wondered idly, and they all fell mostly silent.

Gianetta played with her salad, pushing it around in the bowl with her fork. “I actually was visited,” she admitted, looking up from under her lashes at the rest of them.

Rhodey’s face lit up. “As was I,” he said slowly.

Steve felt a spike of anticipation - a sensation he hadn’t felt since he’d served Rome - and looked around at his friends. He hadn’t told anyone of the apparition he’d witnessed some time ago. “Who else was visited?”

They all slowly raised their hands.

“By the same… being?”

“The same, most likely,” Thor said. “The white-haired woman who calls herself Alice.”

“Yes,” Sam said, and they all chimed in affirmatives. Logan grunted, the only one who hadn’t stopped eating.

“She showed up at the shop,” Jess said, a wrinkle appearing in her forehead. “I thought we’d never see her again, after the business with the amulets.”

Steve turned to Tony, who closed his eyes. “She came to me in a dream,” his husband admitted. “Something about the wheel turning.”

“She told me the same,” Steve said quietly. He looked at his hands, folded at his waist. “Gods, I hope this isn’t an ill omen.”

“I don’t think it is?” Carol made a face. “I mean, she was ominous about the amulets, and this wasn’t the same at all.”

“It was… it was like an annunciation,” Gianetta added. “A proclamation. And she was quite candid, too. Very casual.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah.”

“Something is beginning, that’s all we’re certain of,” Bruce said. “We figured it would be best if we were all together - as much as we could be - if anything did occur.”

“You all are so paranoid!”

They all swiveled to stare at the newcomer.

The being Alice was sitting cross-legged next to a very startled Sam, smiling beatifically. “Good grief, the pharaohs of Egypt and the czars of Russia were less wary.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “I come bearing good tidings! There’s no need to be so worried.” She wiggled her fingers in greeting at Carol and Jess, who just continued to stare dumbfoundedly at her. “There are others like you, in this world,” she said genially. “And they need someplace safe to call home. I thought of you lot right away, and I figured it was time you all reassembled.”

“Others?” a few of them said in unison, and even Logan perked up at that.

“Yes, and most of them are quite young.” Alice winked at Logan, who growled at her. She went on, unfazed. “No sense in letting them muddle through life thinking they’re alone in this big world. You’ll all handle your new wards fine, I think.”

“There are still superstitious people out there who would gladly harm supernatural folk like us,” Bruce reasoned slowly.

“That’s going to change,” Alice informed them. “Be prepared.” She gracefully got to her feet and stole a roll from Bruce’s plate, waggling her eyebrows at them. “But most importantly, have joy!”

And she was gone.

They all sat in silence, processing what she’d said. “How could this world change that much?” Gianetta finally wondered aloud.

“I have no idea,” Sam said, “but I am looking forward to finding out.”

That night, Steve folded his legs under him and braced his arms and upper torso on the daybed so that he was level with Tony’s face. “Alice just told us today that we’re about to get a brood of supernatural kids to train.”

Tony laughed. “We’re getting wards. After two millennia, we’re finally entering the old married couple with kids stage.”

Steve laughed with him. “Was that supposed to be her idea of a birthday gift?”

“Darling, beloved, I have no idea,” Tony replied, his eyes sparkling. “Who can fathom the intentions of divine beings?”

“I’ll consider it a birthday present,” Steve decided.

For a moment, he thought he heard the echoing laugh of a delighted divine messenger echoing through the starry sky.

He decided it was safe to take that as affirmation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang's all back together again! And also Alice. She got in there. Sorry. I tried to keep her out. (Just so there's no confusion: Alice is the original female character mentioned in the tags. She's my creation, and also something of a universe-hopper. She appears in my other fic, including two WIP's I've got going right now. See if you can spot her!)
> 
> I owe AngeNoir for the idea to have Logan as a werewolf. ;D
> 
> Other than him, we have Jan as a _fata_ (fairy) and everyone else as assorted immortals with magical tools and various other things. For instance, Sam has his wings (which work WAAAAAY better than Icarus's) and Thor has his hammer, Rhodey and Tony both have armor, and Steve of course still has his shield. Hank refused anything and originally contented himself with living forever with Jan - maybe in this universe he isn't horrible? I'd like to think there's a universe out there where that's true - and Bruce is a berserker. Just don't piss him off. Carol got into some shenanigans with a Celtic goddess off-screen, and Jess got her hands on a magic amulet. I'll probably go into detail in the future if I keep this going???
> 
> Oh yeah, at some point in between this chapter and the last, Jess got to meet Steve. I imagine she handled it better than Carol did.
> 
> Looks like the world is expanding... who KNOWS who else we'll end up seeing????? 8D


End file.
